Distant Shores
by JRWStudios
Summary: Darjeeling had always wanted to go to real English school, and when she is accepted to a prestigious women's college in London it seems she's close to realizing that dream. But just how hard will it be for her to attend when everything is done so differently than back home? I only own my characters.
1. Prologue

Prologue: Acceptance Letter

Darjeeling smiled as she looked over the letter in her hands, her thumb brushing over the seal on the bottom. Orange Pekoe looked sad as she watched her friend zip a bag closed, before the blonde turned to her.

"Are you really leaving for England?"

"Yes." Darjeeling smiled. "They accepted me to their London campus, and have already put me on the roster for their Tankery club. The London campus, as in on land. Can you believe it? After being on school ships for so long I'll be attending a land based school."

"That's a little weird. Doesn't the UK have school ships?"

"Of course, but it seems the London campus had to be moved partially to land to keep up with their expanding Tankery program. I'll have to be on the ship for the second semester of my first year, and the first semester of every other year."

Orange Pekoe frowned, but nodded. "Promise you'll write to me?"

"Why would I not? You're my best friend Pekoe." Darjeeling smiled, folding her letter carefully before she walked over to her friend to hug her. "And I'll send you all kinds of tea that I find over there."

"Sounds like a plan." the younger woman sighed, but rest her head on the taller girl's shoulder. She didn't like the thought of her friend going to England on her own, and definitely not so soon after graduating from Saint Gloria's. She pulled away to produce an large manilla envelope from her bag, which her former commander looked at with interest. Opening it up the blonde couldn't help her smile when she saw the group picture of their entire Tankery club, standing proudly in full match uniform in front of a line of their tanks. The back of the photo was signed by all the members, even the first years that Darjeeling barely knew, and as she looked through the rest of the papers in the envelope she saw that they were letters from the members, wishing her good luck and reminding her to do her best. The woman smiled, and put the picture back in so she could close it.

"I'm going to miss everyone."

"They're going to miss you too. Try to come back and visit everyone, okay?"

"I'll do my best."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Arrival in a New Country

Darjeeling looked around in worry as she walked through the airport terminal, heading for the baggage claim to retrieve her bags, and making sure to find a luggage trolley she could use before she reached it. It was odd to be surrounded by so many accents, but she was just glad her extensive classes in English allowed her to understand what was going on around her. At least, with directions- a lot of the terms and slang she heard around her was completely unfamiliar to her, so she started making a mental list of words and phrases to look up later. The blonde came to stand in front of the baggage line, looking for her distinctive luggage. Old fashioned trunks with the Saint Gloriana's school emblem emblazoned on the sides, along with "CO Darjeeling", soon slid into view, and as she pulled them from the line she was well aware of the whispers around her. She piled them neatly onto the trolley, and began to push it through the airport to the front entrance, where she was surprised to find a woman in a green and brown school uniform looking around, holding a sign in one hand that read "Darjeeling" in neatly scripted letters. When her gaze fell over the new arrival she smiled and walked over, and she walked with such elegance it left the new comer awestruck. This woman's long, long black hair was neatly brushed back over her shoulders, and her dark blue eyes shone with her experience, yet the rest of her features held a feminine softness to them. The woman stopped beside the blonde Japanese woman, and held out what she had held in her other hand: a small bouquet of fine English roses.

"Welcome to England. My name is Aeron Rey. I'm here to pick you up." the raven haired woman smiled and saluted. "I'm also your house-mate, and roommate when we are on the ship."

"Roommate?"

"Yes. Because this particular college is in such high demand, the rooms began being assigned to groups of girls, both on campus and on the ship, but since I have my own house just off campus, you'll be there with me instead. I arranged it with the school and everything." Aeron gently took the handle of the trolley from the girl, and began pushing it.

"Why would you do something like that?"

"You were assigned as my partner by the college because your first language is Japanese and I've studied Japanese since I was a child. I wasn't going to make you stay on campus after finding that out."

"I see." Darjeeling followed the Brit out to a parked car, and helped her put the bags in the back. As soon as the trolley was returned, the raven haired woman climbed behind the wheel. They were soon going down the road, and the new arrival found herself quietly pondering many things as they rode in silence.

"So your file said you commanded a Churchill." Aeron finally broke the silence, giving her a side-glance.

"Yes."

"And your school was a British based school, correct?"

"Yes."

"So I am right to assume that your application to the London College for Women is no coincidence?"

"Yes."

"Hm." Aeron looked a bit curious. "The first tank I ever operated was a Churchill. I was the gunner, until my team commander heard me giving tactical advice to her vice."

"They moved you up?"

"I was still gunner, I just became an important tactical planner."

"And... what kind of tank do you operate now?"

"I am the commander of an original Centurion A41. It was just barely allowed to be used for our tankery matches, but it's- uhm, are you alright?"

Darjeeling's face must have shown every ounce of her admiration, surprise, and excitement. "A Centurion?"

"Yes. You'll be in it as well. You... like the Centurion?"

"Absolutely!"

"Well then." the brit seemed pleased, smirking as she pulled her car up to a quaint little town house. Darjeeling and Aeron carried the suitcases inside, and the blonde looked around as she followed her house-mate up the stairs and to a neat little bedroom. She looked first at the minty green walls, then the furniture. The room contained an European style pastoral bed, with matching white British pastoral furniture, including a pair of night tables, a dressing table, a mirror topped dresser, and a five door armoire, as well as a cream portsmouth chair in the corner beside an European style shelf, and a white kelly transitional roll arm bench at the foot of the bed. A large persian rug ran beside the bed, in front of the chair and bookcase, and when she turned to look at the door she found it was a set of white, stained glass French doors, with a matching single door to the right of the bed, and the windows - one over the bed and another to the left of it on the same wall, as well as another in between the bookshelf and armoire on the wall to the left, with pretty lace curtains hanging over them. There was also a white, brown topped Beckett Executive Desk, with a comfortable looking cream office chair, and a computer all set up and ready to go. A stack of books were beside the computer, and a cute bookbag with a folded piece of paper sticking out of the front pocket was on the floor in front of it.

"Your uniform is over there on the bed, and you'll get your match uniform in a few days when we meet at school. Since this is your first year you have to wear a sweater vest, but next year you'll be allowed to wear any brown jacket or vest you want." Aeron walked over to the bed, and motioned to the clothes neatly folded and laid out on top of the beautiful quilt, but as Darjeeling began looking at the items, her house-mate cleared her throat. "There are a few rules about our dress code you should know."

"And they would be?" the Brit had her attention once more.

"Our standard uniform consists of a dark green skirt, lighter green shirt, and a brown neck tie of your choice. I wear a ribbon for classes, but a tie when there are important guests or if I know I'll be with the class president for some reason, so I went ahead and got you a ribbon, tie, and a bowtie. You can wear whatever height stockings you want, but they have to be either black, grey, green or brown. You also must keep your hair neat and proper at all times, and during a tankery match or anytime we are in the tankery uniform you must keep your hair in a military style. That braid you have is perfect, but you'll have to pin your bangs back a little more, since we wear a proper red beret as part of our uniform. Also, you will be in brown heels anywhere from a slight heel to no higher than eight centimeters. They cannot be wedges, chunky heels, or stilettos. For Tankery you will be in black heels of the same type anytime you are in uniform but not in the tank. In the tank you will have brown front lace boots that come to just below your knee. First year students are also not allowed to wear anything except the assigned brown vest, and must wear the uniform at all times during school hours."

"That is a very strict dress code."

"We at the London College for Women must always remember that we are the pinnacle of proper ladies, and a strict dress code of this kind is the best way to keep that mentality sharp." she smiled. "Or at least, that's what the headmistress says."

"Do you agree with her?" Darjeeling found herself neatly folding her hands in front of her, and it caught Aeron's eye for a brief moment.

"I think she is certainly on the right track. Ahem, Darjeeling, your class schedule is that piece of paper sticking out of your pack. You will be taking the mandatory classes in penmanship, etiquette, and life skills in the morning, followed by Tankery after lunch, then Maths, History, Literature, and Science, followed by a class of your choice. You will also find a cellphone in the bag, with my number programmed in. You can call or text me at anytime during the day if you require help, but it also has internet access for you as well."

"Thank you very much." the blonde bowed, then seemed to remember something. "Rey, if you're not a first year, shouldn't you be on the ship this semester?"

"Tankery students only spend two months afloat, one month a semester, and we all do that at once. We will head out to sea in November, and then again in May. Also, you can call me by my first name. We live together now, no need to be so formal." Aeron smiled. "Now then, I'll leave you to get settled in. It's nearly tea time so I'm going to go bake some fresh scones. Oh, and feel free to explore the house if you want! Nothing here is off-limits."

Darjeeling watched her leave, then turned to look at her uniform again. The sweater vest in particular caught her eye - with the beautifully stitched on patch on the left breast. It appeared to be a blacked out bit of the old London skyline, standing proud in front of the Union Jack, and the initials L-C-G stitched in a calligraphy style over the top of the patch. She ran her thumb over it, then picked up the uniform to carry over to the armoire. First hanging the shirt and vest, then taking the skirt to the dresser, Darjeeling looked at the two pieces carefully, trying to figure out how she would put her clothes away. The blonde soon had a plan in mind, and when Aeron returned upstairs to fetch her, she found the Japanese woman carefully putting her collared shirts in the armoire, while the other articles of clothing were neatly folded and stacked on the bed.

"Darjeeling?"

"Yes?" she turned to look at the Brit.

"Tea time. Also, there is a yellow shelf unit at the end of the hall. I use it to keep my non-uniform shoes out of the way, but there's also a small shelf at the end of the staircase downstairs where I keep my uniform shoes and the kit to keep them cleaned and shined. Just so you know." Aeron smiled, and disappeared back down the stairs. Darjeeling looked over at the clothes she had yet to put away, but stood and followed her house-mate downstairs. As she looked she did see the shelf Aeron had mentioned, but her curiosity was drawn above her, to the line of candle chandeliers that lit the hallway. She followed the line, past a glass door that she could see led to a very tidy office, and past a black upright piano that held not even a speck of dust, and into a rather large kitchen. Aeron smiled when she saw her, and motioned for her to come over to the round table that sat near the entryway. Two porcelain tea cups were set out on the table, and a teapot sat on a lace doily in the center of the table, with a plates of fresh scones beside it, as well as what appeared to be jam and clotted cream.

"Here, I made Prince of Wales."

"Thank you." Darjeeling smiled. "I'll have to send some of this back to Pekoe."

"Are all of you girls named after teas?"

"The tea names are actually nicknames mostly."

"And yours?"

"Is my name. My mother was a bit of an Anglophile, but she didn't originally know it was a kind of tea because in Japanese my name is pronounced as Dajirin due to the translation and such things, and not Darjeeling."

"I see." Aeron lifted Darjeeling's cup to fill it, then filled her own. "Translations can leave pronunciations a bit skewed, can't they? Haha, even in English things can go wrong."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I remember once an American girl was visiting our classes as part of our exchange program, and I happened to ask her for a rubber. Well here in England, we say 'rubber' for 'eraser', however in the States, they say 'rubber' for 'condom'. The look she gave me was truly priceless." the Brit chuckled. "I had to ask her again, after explaining what it was I really wanted."

"I might want to learn some of your terminology before I start classes."

"Oh, that reminds me. Our headmistress and student council want you to join us for tea tomorrow as an introduction!" Aeron suddenly seemed concerned. "I suppose I'll have to give you a crash course on proper etiquette before that…"

"No need." Darjeeling smiled softly, lifting her cup as if it were a delicate piece of antiquity, and sipping lightly on the tea before setting the glass back down. "We at Saint Gloriana's were the proper ladies of Japan. We were to Japan what London is to the UK."

"I see! In that case the only problem is making sure to have you in proper attire. Do you happen to have any dresses with you?"

"No."

"Then we need to go shopping tomorrow morning."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Tea Time with the Headmistress

Aeron watched Darjeeling look around as she led her down the pavement, heading for a specialty shop favourited by the headmistress of the college. She had been sure to explain the things the woman would look for during their meeting that evening, and Darjeeling had been quick to reassure her that all would be well, though she had been a bit surprised when she had suddenly been asked if her ears were pierced (they were, though she had no idea why her house-mate would want to know that out of the blue).

The blonde followed the Brit into the dress store, and was a little shocked to see all the dresses that ranged from Victorian to Lolita to Hollywood Red Carpet. Aeron seemed to know exactly where to go, and walked over to a particular section full of brightly colored frilly dresses. She pulled out a pink number, and handed it to the Japanese woman when she approached. A bit startled by the sudden motion, Darjeeling did as she was told and took the dress into a changing stall. She was very careful to change into it, and after buttoning up the front, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Back home, the dress would have been called pastel lolita, and she no doubt would have been a bit embarrassed to leave the house in it. It was a rose colored dress, with puffy sleeves and a frilled collar, and the end of the skirt had four rows of light pink frills, separated into pairs by much smaller lavender frills. The dress also had a slightly darker pink bit that made it seem as though she was wearing some sort of strapless vest, running from just above the top of her chest to the top edge of the final row of frills, with a lavender bow on either side of the end of the opening that ran up to the top of her waistline where another lavender ribbon was placed.

Darjeeling stepped out of the stall so Aeron could see, and the woman smiled.

"I like it. Ma'am?" she called out to the shop owner. "Do you still have those lilac ribbon pumps?"

"What size dear?"

"Seven please." the woman walked off to check a series of shelves in the back. She soon returned with the desired shoes and Darjeeling was instructed to try them on. After seeing how well they fit and how good they looked with the outfit, she went back into the stall to change back into her clothes, and returned with the dress on her arm and the shoes in her hand. The shopkeeper carefully wrapped the items, and after placing them in bags gave Aeron a smile.

"This must be the new student you were telling me about yesterday evening. Darjeeling, is it?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Welcome to England dear. Since you're a new student, the dress and shoes are free, and anything else you get from my shop is half-price."

Aeron gave her friend a smile. "We need so many dresses for different things throughout the school year, and she always delivers."

"I see. Well, thank you very much." Darjeeling bowed, then followed the raven haired woman out of the shop and back down the pavement toward her home. Aeron hummed a little tune under her breath, looking over at the blonde every once in awhile, almost like she was checking to see if she was still there.

No, Darjeeling quickly realized the woman was watching her expressions as she looked around at everything they passed. Wanting to see if she was right, she hesitated outside of a bookstore, and knew she had been correct in her assumption when Aeron stopped walking.

"Did you see something you like?"

"No, I just realized my books won't be here for about a month." the blonde put on a concerned look. "I hope they don't get misplaced. Some of them are very old…"

"Well, maybe we can find something in here that will keep you well until they arrive. We still have plenty of time before we need to begin to get ready for tea with Headmistress Amelia."

"Amelia? Is that her name? To be honest, I couldn't tell what her signature said…" she followed the older woman into the shop. "But then again I'm not used to reading calligraphy."

"You will be soon enough. The second semester of penmanship is basically calligraphy. What kind of books do you like?"

"Romance is one of my favorites, but I also love fantasy."

"What about magic?"

"I don't think I've ever read magic books."

The expression that took over Aeron's face was one that immediately made Darjeeling become worried for her safety, and _sanity_. The woman seemed to debate mentally with herself, then grabbed Darjeeling's wrist and pulled her from the store.

"You need to read these books if you want any chance of surviving in England. They are deeply rooted in our culture now and if you don't know them you will become the target of so much hate it's not funny."

"Oh?"

"I also need to introduce you to a couple of TV shows… But that will have to wait." Aeron now wore the expression of a woman on a mission. She let go of her new friend's wrist to unlock her front door, and let her enter first. Darjeeling was handed the bag containing her new dress and shoes, and followed her up the stairs to the second floor. Pausing at the top she saw the raven haired woman walk past the row of white books shelves, sitting on a low bench on the other end to remove her shoes, which she then placed on that shelving unit situated at the end of the hall, so Darjeeling went into her room to put her things away. But a few moments later Aeron walked in, carrying a small, pink make-up bag.

"Go take a shower and wash your hair really well. There's a rose spa kit under the sink, use it. The Headmistress is really big on public hygiene, so when you meet her it's really important that you smell exceptionally clean. Once we're both done bathing I'll do our hair and makeup." she handed the bag over. "And I will be teaching you how to properly put on makeup at a later time."

"Alright."

Aeron smiled, turning on her heel to leave the room. She went back to her own room, and after shutting the door behind her made a beeline for her bathroom. Through the wall she could hear the bathroom door to Darjeeling's bathroom close as she shut her own, and listened to the other woman rummage around in the cabinet under her sink as she started a shower. The room was quickly filled the scent of lavender after she lit a few candles that she kept on the vanity, and she let it calm her as she undressed. The smell of lavender was always soothing to her, and as nervous as she was about tea with Headmistress Amelia, she needed to be calmed. So she took a little more time than usual to get all cleaned up, and though she certainly felt better when she got out, she couldn't help but still feel a little nervous.

"I need to trust Darjeeling but…" Aeron looked at herself in the mirror and cringed. "Headmistress Amelia is one of the scariest ladies I know… and this meeting could very well determine Darjeeling's fate for the rest of the year!"

She locked eyes with her reflection, then let out a sigh and picked up her blow drier. As soon as she was done she became aware of Darjeeling doing the same thing in her bathroom, and she couldn't help the little smile that grew on her lips.

Darjeeling fumbled with her hairbrush, trying to brush out her hair as she dried it (wearing it in a braid so often made it incredibly hard to brush when it was wet). She could hear Aeron leaving her bathroom on the other side of the wall, and didn't want to become hastle. It took a little longer than she would have liked but soon enough her hair was dry, and falling down over her shoulders.

"Hm, I always forget how long it really is…"

"Darjeeling, are you done?"

"Yes." she wrapped her towel around herself and walked over to open the door to the bathroom. Aeron, wrapped in a long robe, stood beside the seat of the vanity, and gave her a smile. Her long hair had been brushed, the end tied with blue ribbon, and two long braids ran down the underlength of her hair. She wore just a touch of makeup, with light blue eyeshadow and red lipstick, and mascara that made her eyelashes seem long and delicate.

"Come sit down so I can do your makeup."

"Alright." Darjeeling did as she was told, and in no time at all her hair had been brushed and lightly curled, but Aeron had also braided her bangs in such a way that the ends could be pinned back, underneath the rest of her hair. She had also helped the more modest girl lightly apply makeup, and Darjeeling almost couldn't believe she hadn't known what a difference even just a tiny bit of mascara could make. Sure seeing Aeron dolled up had made the Brit look a bit more mature, but on herself, she hadn't expected the change.

The older woman patted her on the shoulder, giving another smile. "Get in your dress. There will be a car here soon to pick us up."

"A car?"

"You didn't expect me to wear a dress and still drive did you?" Aeron giggled, walking out of the room and being sure to shut the door behind her. Darjeeling was left to dress in silence, her thoughts drifting to how she would present herself to the headmistress and the student council. She was sure there would be a bit of confusion, seeing as how they were more than likely expected a Japanese speaking woman with the stereotypical appearance, instead of the blonde haired blue eyes English speaking Japan native they were getting.

After slipping on her new heels Darjeeling gave her reflection one last glance, then left her room to descend carefully down the stairs. She was standing by the door when she heard the click of another pair of heels descend, and turned to watch Aeron come into view, now dressed in a gown of lovely blues. It was a sleeveless number with a halter style top of light blue lace that ran from the top edge of the bodice (slightly below the top of her bust) to a dark blue collar around her neck. The bodice was a lace topped blue corset edged by white pearls, and the skirt (which was much, much longer than Darjeeling's knee length dress) was many layers of Prussian blue fabric. On her arms were detached sleeves of the same blue, edged by light blue fabric the colour of the lace of the top of her dress. She also wore a pair of blue crystal earrings and a matching sapphire and pearl choker, which was worn over the collar of her dress. After looking closely, Darjeeling realised she also had on a pair of light blue gloves, and was surprised when she was presented a pair of white gloves.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yes." It was only a moment later that there was a knock on the door, and Aeron opened it to reveal a well dressed elderly man. He tipped his hat and gave a smile, stepping aside as he motioned to the car.

"Ladies."

"Thank you sir." Aeron gently hooked her arm through Darjeeling's, and led her to the car. The man stepped around behind them to open the car door and helped them in before he took his spot behind the wheel. The blonde looked out the window as the car drove onto campus grounds about two blocks away, and began to make its way through the somewhat confusing roads to a large mansion on the far edge of the grounds. A little unnerved, she hesitated to get out of the car, making Aeron pause to give her a smile.

"It's okay Darjeeling, come on." she held out her hand, and her friend accepted it. As she was led up the stairs to the entrance she was surprised yet again when the large doors opened, and a beautiful young lady was standing there. She had beautiful curled brown hair and serene grey eyes that seemed dark compared to her pale skin, as did the long purple dress that hugged her curves then flowed out in a ballgown skirt. It looked like something the princess of a Renaissance festival would wear, but it seemed perfect on her.

"Good to see you again Alice!" Aeron smiled brightly, and motioned to her friend. "Alice this is our new student Darjeeling. Darjeeling, this is our vice president Alice Haskew."

"Nice to meet you." Darjeeling smiled softly, and curtsied, which seemed to both please Aeron, and make Alice smile.

"And you as well Darjeeling. Please come in, Headmistress Amelia and the others are waiting in the parlor." Alice stepped aside to let them in, then folded her hands neatly in front of her as she led them to their destination: a Victorian furnished parlor where three other ladies sat. Most noticeably was the eldest lady, who had grey hair and many wrinkles, wearing a Victorian green dress that looked like something you would see in the Queen's closet.

On her left was a smaller woman with thick eyebrows and wavy dirty blonde hair that almost appeared curled as it framed her face, but the gentleness that the curls gave her was broken by her piercing green eyes. Eyes that were almost the same colour as the emerald on the silver necklace around her neck. She also wore a green dress, though it was much slimmer than the dresses of the other girls, and came off her shoulders with long flowing sleeves.

To the elder's right was a lady dressed rather plainly compared to the others: in a long green dress with gold trim and a gold belt around her hips with a long piece that ran down the front of her dress. Yet, with her wildly curly red hair and light green eyes she almost like a Scottish princess Darjeeling had once seen in a movie.

The ladies stood and smiled at new arrivals as they entered behind Alice, and Darjeeling was suddenly put on edge when all eyes focused on her.

"Ladies, this is our new student from Japan, Miss Darjeeling." she curtsied when Alice introduced her. The elder smiled kindly, motioning for her and Aeron to come join them.

"Darjeeling it is so nice to welcome you to my school. I'm Headmistress Amelia, the school's founder."

"I-I'm sorry?"

"You heard me right dear, I am _that old_." Amelia chuckled. "But there's no need to dwell on that. I'm still alive and kicking right now and that's what matters."

The blonde on her left dipped her head, her eyes taking on a softer look as she smiled. "I'm the student council president, Victoria Baker, and I am also the Field Marshall of the Tankery unit, or commander by your terms. Alice there is our General, or second in command."

"I'm the PR Aileen Macfarlane," the redhead spoke with a heavy Scottish accent. "I am the Lieutenant General, or third in command. Dear Aeron is our treasurer, and our Major-General, or fourth."

"She will become the next commander at the end of the year when these three ladies graduate." Amelia smiled. "And you may very well join her in command, but for now you'll be at the rank of Captain. You should be proud too, you're the only first year to ever enter as a rank higher than Private. However, I did not ask you here to discuss ranks. Come, sit."

Aeron gathered her skirt carefully before she sat on one of the two lovely antique couches, motioning for Darjeeling to do the same. Once everyone was seated and comfortable, the headmistress picked up a tiny bell from the table beside her plush chair, and rung it thrice. Soon a maid opened the parlor doors to allow a handsome butler to push in a cart laden with delicious treats. He fixed each lady a cup of tea and a small plate of the treats before he bow and backed away, standing back from them as they sipped the tea.

"So, Darjeeling," Aileen was the first to speak. "How are you liking England so far? I'm sure it's not quite fair to ask when you've only been here a day, but I'm a bit curious."

"It's lovely, and although I was a bit surprised to find out the college was split between land and sea I'm glad I'll be able to tell my friends from Saint Gloriana's all about the country." Darjeeling smiled, setting her cup down. "We were always proud of being the only English based school in Japan, so for one of us to actually make to England is a very big deal. They'll want to know all about it."

"Do you have any friends in particular you'd like to tell about England? Perhaps we could send a plane to bring them over for holiday, or maybe even bring your old tankery unit to observe a match."

"That sounds lovely, although not all of my friends were from Saint Gloriana's. One girl in particular was quite an admirable rival back in Japan, leading a no-name school to the championship."

"Oh, that Nishizumi girl from, oh where was it again Alice?"

"Oorai, Victoria."

"Right. I heard Germany is trying to recruit her and her older sister."

"Germany is trying to recruit all the top tankery students, no matter where they're from."

Darjeeling nodded. "I received a letter from them as well. The offer they presented was one my instructor thought I was stupid to turn down, but I could never fight in the barbaric way the Germans do."

"Spoken like a true English lady." Amelia smiled. "I just know you'll fit right in here with my girls."

"She already fits in more than you think Headmistress." Aeron pipped up, dabbing her mouth with a napkin as she finished nibbling on a delicious looking scone. "Her etiquette and mannerisms are much farther along than many of our first years, and she already knows how to make a proper cup of tea."

"That does say something about her." Alice nodded slowly. "Perhaps we could take her out of the required etiquette class and allow her to take a third elective."

"By the way, has she decided which elective she would like for that first opened slot?" Victoria finished her tea, and the butler moved into make her another cup. "Classes start in a fortnight, we need to fit her into one."

"I decided I would like to be placed in the dance class with Aeron. If that's alright?"

"Oh that sounds wonderful." Aileen smiled. "I hear the dance class always needs new students."

"Do the girls not like it?"

Aeron shook her head. "They don't like taking instructions from a new instructor."

"Oh?"

"Yes." the woman seemed a little proud. "Headmistress Amelia allowed my older sister, a former student of the college, to take charge after the instructor suddenly left the country last year. The position stuck."

Darjeeling looked thoughtful. "Well, I don't have any problems learning from a newer instructor, as long as she can properly teach."

"She can, I assure you." Victoria chuckled. "I was in the class last year and after the instructor left we actually began to learn dance. Although, Aeron's sister seems to prefer the waltz and ballet."

"I see no problem with that girls." Amelia chuckled. "I happen to be quite fond of the ballet."


End file.
